Supreme Court declines PIL on 2027 Census caste data

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a PIL by academician Aakash Goel challenging the procedures for recording and verifying caste information in the 2027 Census . The bench said there is no pre-determined data for identifying caste and noted that under the Census Act, 1958 and the 1990 Rules , census authorities have the legal mandate to decide how the census is conducted , including the design of questionnaires and verification methods.

The Court also cited the Centre’s assurance that a robust mechanism , backed by experts, is in place to prevent errors in caste enumeration. Goel had sought that the caste questionnaire be made public and that clear criteria be set for classifying and verifying caste data.

Had the PIL been entertained, the court might have directed greater transparency in the census process , potentially requiring authorities to release the caste questionnaire in advance and clarify classification rules, ensuring public scrutiny of how caste data is collected.

The 2027 Census , India’s first fully digital census , will also mark the first comprehensive caste enumeration since 1931 , making accuracy and transparency in data collection crucial.